


Be your Enemy

by fourtimesaroundthesun



Series: Wolmido Island [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Donghyuck isn't famous, M/M, error 404 no actual ghosts in this story, sequel to Coney Island, they're not enemies in this either
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:07:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28073679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fourtimesaroundthesun/pseuds/fourtimesaroundthesun
Summary: Mark is at a hole-in-the-wall bar in Seoul when he sees a ghost.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Series: Wolmido Island [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2065806
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Be your Enemy

**Author's Note:**

> Title inspired by "Be your Enemy" by Taemin. [mv](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR5HknDMseQ) | [lyrics](https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-taemin-be-your-enemy-ft-wendy-red-velvet-english-translation-lyrics)
> 
> Can be read as a standalone, but for more context I recommend reading Part 1 first.
> 
> Not beta'd, we die like men.

Mark is at a hole-in-the-wall bar in Seoul when he sees a ghost.

Usually Mark is a clingy and silly drunk—he’s been ridiculed by his bandmates enough times to know that—but tonight he is uncharacteristically a sad drunk. It must be because he’s lost in the past that he sees Donghyuck.

Well, if he’s hallucinating, he might as well enjoy it, he figures. He tries to inconspicuously observe “Donghyuck.” It’s an extraordinarily precise mirage—it’s captured the glow in his tan skin, the constellation of moles that Mark used to love leaving feather-light kisses, the sunny smile. The mirage in another display of surprising accuracy is talking to one of their old middle school friends. Well, not their. When they had broken up, their friend group had for the most part fractured along the lines of whose lifestyle matched their own–their school friends siding with Donghyuck, Mark’s bandmates siding with Mark. Mark watches their old friend nudge “Donghyuck” good-naturedly. Mark blinks rapidly. The mirage seems to be walking towards him.

Before he can prepare his heart, the mirage is standing right in front of him. “Hey, Mark,” the mirage says. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Mark is struck dumb. This can’t be real. Donghyuck hasn’t talked to him in years. Hasn’t even texted him. Mark remembers begging Donghyuck to stay friends, but at this point he had given up hope. After all, at that last meeting, Donghyuck hadn’t promised him anything. Sometimes, that was just how things worked—people who you thought would be by your side forever end up passing through your life. 

Donghyuck giggles. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. How about we blow this joint and go for a walk?”

Mark nods robotically. “Okay. Okay.” He distractedly pays by cash—probably leaving an unusually generous tip in his haste.

***

As they head away from the bar, Mark asks in a hushed voice, “Is it really you, Donghyuck? What are you doing here?” What were you doing at that bar, what are you doing in my life.

Donghyuck flashes Mark a grin. “Yup, it’s me, the charming, irreplaceable Lee Donghyuck,” he jokes. Doesn’t Mark know it. “I was grabbing a drink with Dongheon hyung after work when we spotted you.” Figures Donghyuck would be with Dongheon, Mark thinks bitterly to himself. Donghyuck was always a very capable hyung collector. “We couldn’t believe it was you at first,” he states with a tiny quirk to his lips. “You weren’t drunkenly laughing enough for it to be convincingly you. But when you made a terrible pun to the bartender, we knew it was you.” Mark wonders if he should feel more insulted than he does, but all he can feel is a fizzy feeling in his lungs, a commitment to enjoy this moment for as long as he is allowed to. “I thought, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Might as well catch up with you when you don’t have an entourage of staff or a crowd of fangirls,” Donghyuck continues. 

It’s not really the answer Mark is looking for. Why, Mark wants to ask? Why did you decide you wanted to catch up when you’ve been avoiding me for so long? But Mark is afraid to ask for fear that Donghyuck will be spooked. 

“So,” Donghyuck turns to Mark, “tell me what you’ve been up to!”

Mark thinks. Thinks about lonely hotel stays and even lonelier days in his apartment. Thinks about the superficial friendships he’s surrounded himself with. Thinks about lyrics that always seem to be about one person. Thinks about fan meetings and concerts that leave him feeling hollow. Thinks about working himself to the bone so he doesn’t feel anymore. He had been so young then, so fixated on glory that he had exchanged fame for their relationship. He knows better now. There isn’t a day that went by where he didn’t regret the trade, wouldn’t do anything to have the chance to go back and choose differently. It was lonely at the top without your person by your side. 

Donghyuck seems to pick up on his melancholy mood and starts hurriedly listing off the albums, tours, variety show appearances that Mark has been on. Mark hadn’t realized that Donghyuck had still been tracking his career. Mark lets himself feel a little pleased that maybe he still captured Donghyuck’s mind the way Donghyuck still had a hold on his. Donghyuck eventually falters, and Mark decides to be stupid, and reckless, and truthful.

“I’ve been missing you,” Mark replies.

***

Mark doesn’t realize they’ve walked to their middle school until it’s right in front of him. Donghyuck hasn’t responded to his confession yet, and he doesn’t want to push him. Mark’s been unfair enough to Donghyuck throughout their life, he might as well start being fair now.

“First one who reaches the swings wins!” Donghyuck screeches, and Mark wants to ask win what?, but finds that he doesn’t really care. He lets Donghyuck win.

They reach the swings, chuckling and out of breath. They clamber onto the swings.

“Ah,” Donghyuck says. “Remember when we put salt in our teacher’s mug when he wasn’t looking?” 

“We?” Mark retorts. “It was all you!”

Donghyuck tilts his head back with his bell-like laugh. Of course, Mark remembers. Donghyuck was a troublemaker, and Mark was a certified Good KidTM that always got dragged into Donghyuck’s schemes. Mark could never say no to Donghyuck, though. They continue trading stories on the swings until eventually they run out.

The silence between the two is deafening. 

Maybe it’s the alcohol, but Mark decides to be stupid, and reckless, and truthful again.

***

This time, Mark knows exactly where he’s going, and Donghyuck is unexpectedly pliant and lets Mark lead him. Donghyuck lets out a little gasp that he tries to hide when he sees that they’re at Wolmido Island. At the exact bench they were sitting at the last time they were here, in fact.

“Let’s make new memories here?” Mark requests softly. He's being stupid, and reckless, and truthful, but for some reason Donghyuck acquiesces. 

***

“I’ve been missing you,” Mark repeats. It might be the trick of the streetlights, but Mark could swear that there seems to be a glossy sheen to Donghyuck’s eyes.

“I was so young back then, you know? All I could think about was fame, and I chased relentlessly after it. After that, it was like sunken cost. Because I had put so much effort into it, and because fame in this industry is so fleeting, I fought tooth and nail to hold onto it.”

Donghyuck hums in acknowledgement.

Mark continues. “If this is the last time I ever get to see you, I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry. I’m sorry for prioritizing my career over you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for the big milestones of your life. I’m sorry I forgot your birthday that last year. I’m sorry I didn’t thank you in my first Daesang speech. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I loved you every chance I got. Most of all, I’m sorry I was too stupid to appreciate what I had until it was gone.”

Mark suddenly realizes he’s crying. “It’s been years, but God, I miss you every day. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t wish that I had a time machine and could go back and choose again, this time more intelligently. Fame doesn’t mean anything if you’re not by my side to share it with me.” Mark exhales sharply. He feels like he’s run a marathon. He’s let himself admit the reality more than he has in a long time. 

Mark realizes then that while Donghyuck has asked him what he’s been up to, he hasn’t asked Donghyuck the same. “So what’s been going on with you?” Mark quickly remediates the situation.

Donghyuck looks lost in thought, like he’s trying to figure out how to articulate his feelings. “I was angry,” he begins hesitantly. “I was angry, and I was disappointed. Why did you not make me a priority? Why were you always hurting me?”

It hurts Mark to hear how he’s hurt Donghyuck, but he knows he has to bear the pain for Donghyuck’s sake. That much Mark can do for Donghyuck.

“It was so hard after our break-up. I saw you everywhere. Not just literally—although you were so popular at the time it seemed like you were in every CF or cardboard cutout around town. I would see you in the music I would want to share with you to get your opinion, or a funny story I wanted to tell you to make you laugh. I missed you—missed the physical and emotional comfort you provided.”

“I felt that too,” Mark nods.

“It got easier with time,” Donghyuck states. Mark realizes now that Donghyuck is crying too. “I came to recognize that somewhere along the way, I had lost myself in our relationship. I had built my life around you, neglected my own dreams and needs. After that, it was a process of finding myself again. It took awhile for me to be able to trust others and myself again. But eventually I went back onto the dating scene.”

Mark feels his stomach twist in jealousy, but he doesn’t say anything. He has no right to be jealous.

“Man, the stories I could tell you about countless bad dates!” Donghyuck chortles, his eyes filled with mirth. “We’ll have to save that for another time.” Another time? Mark’s ears perk up. 

“I don’t know if I believe in soulmates,” Donghyuck resumes. “I think there are probably several people out there for us in the world, you know? Sometimes it’s more because of circumstance that people end up together.” Mark tries not to feel disheartened.

“Even so, after I had the benefit of time and perspective, I came to realize how terribly fond I still was of you, how I could never seem to replace you. How even after all these years, maybe you weren’t my soulmate, but you were still my person. Had become my person. I came to realize that I’d still choose you then, and I choose you now. And that’s what it’s all about—choice. I know who I am without you now; I can stand on my own two feet. But I'd choose for you to be in my life. I’ve learned to set boundaries now, and if I get hurt, at least I went into the situation clear-sightedly and knowing the risk. And you’re worth the risk.” Mark can’t believe what he’s hearing, doesn’t want to start hoping.

“I had actually been thinking about reaching out to you—was talking to Dongheon about it today—and there you were. And who was I to deny fate?” Donghyuck smiles. 

Mark’s heart is in his throat when he asks, “Can we start again?” Hurriedly, he adds, “We can just start off as friends first. Get to know each other again.” Mark holds his breath, waiting for Donghyuck’s response.

“Okay,” Donghyuck beams, intertwining their fingers together.

The moon rises.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos are very much appreciated :)
> 
> [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/4xaroundthesun)


End file.
